by Colette Georgii

Created on: April 25, 2010

Picking the wedding party is a very important task and usually involves planning by the bride and groom together.  The wedding party can be as large and as elegant as the budget or finances will allow or it can be a very small simple affair. 

Your wedding party is one of the most important parts of your wedding since it includes all the people who are involved with helping you get your wedding together. The wedding party consists of the bride and groom, their attendands, and the officient/celebrant. Your cultural or ethnic background, tradition,  and religion will  also play a part in the attendants for a wedding party. 

Listed below are the most usual attendants for a traditional western wedding ceremony, but according to your ethnic background and cultural traditions you may have other types of attendants.  Be sure to include the attendants that are usually part of your cultural wedding traditions and don't rely solely on this list. 

Bride's attendants

* Bridesmaids
* Maid of Honor
* Father of the bride
* Mother of the bride

Groom's attendants

* Groomsmen
* Best Man
* Father of the groom
* Mother of the groom

Attendants who are children on either side of the family

* Flower girls
* Page boys
* Junior bridesmaids
* Junior groomsmen
* Junior ushers

The officiant

You will want to pick the officiant first so that they can be involved in the planning if you so desire.  The officiant would be a priest, rabbi, minister, or justice of the peace. It can also be anyone who is certified to officiate at the marriage ceremony such as a multi-denominational officiant. So this is an important choice in planning your wedding party and you and the groom or family of the bride will have to make a choice based on your culture, tradition, lifestyle, and religions.

Best Man and Maid of Honor

Next the most important bridal attendants are the Best Man and the Maid of Honor.  They are usually chosen from among your very best friends.  This should be a person who is totally loyal to you and wouldn't do anything to harm your marriage ceremony in any way and would also help you with anything you need help with.  So choose wisely here.

Bridesmaids and Groomsmen 

The bridesmaids and groomsmen can be as many as your finances and budget will allow, or as many or as few as you want. These attendants can also be chosen from your very best friends who are also totally loyal to you and will stand by and support the

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